Non-contact thermal sensors are used in a wide range of applications and can be used to detect the temperature of an object without coming into contact with the object. Such sensors sometimes are integrated into consumer electronic products or other electronic devices. Mobile or hand-held phones, for example, can include a non-contact thermal sensor and allow a user to point the sensor at an object whose temperature is to be measured. In some cases, the measured temperature information may be combined with a camera image recorded by the device for display on the device.
Non-contact thermal sensors typically sense infra-red (IR) radiation, which presents various challenges. For example, to detect and record only the temperature of the object of interest, the thermal sensor should be insulated from IR radiation emitted by other materials in the vicinity of the sensor.
Other challenges relate to inefficiencies in manufacturing processes, particularly in connection with thermal sensor modules that need to have relatively small dimensions and for which high-volume production is desirable (e.g., thermal sensor modules for integration with hand-held, mobile phones).